A record number of visitors docked at VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Ogden Point cruise ship terminal this year.
A reported 239 cruise ship calls in 2017 made it the largest number ever recorded for the city, up from 224 in 2016. From April to October, over 600,000 passengers visited the city and this season also welcomed the seven millionth cruise ship passenger since the Ogden Point cruise terminal became a destination in 1978, arriving on Royal CaribbeanB次元官网网址檚 Explorer of the Seas.
Ian Robertson, CEO of the (GVHA) says the cruise lines they work with love Victoria.
B次元官网网址淭his higher number of ship calls reflects a growing interest in our city not just during the peak summer season, but in the shoulder months of late spring and early fall as well,B次元官网网址� he added.
The city has seen smaller, boutique or B次元官网网址減ocketB次元官网网址� cruise lines B次元官网网址� ships with all the amenities, but fewer passengers, like National GeographicB次元官网网址檚 Lindblad Expeditions B次元官网网址� make more frequent visits over the past few years. As visits and interest to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska grow in popularity, that trend is expected to grow.
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Paul Nursey, president and CEO of said the GVHA has done great work welcoming cruise ships to the city during what has been another remarkable year for tourism in Greater Victoria.
B次元官网网址淗aving more than 600,000 cruise ship passengers visit our city is really positive for our destination as research indicates many of those people will come back later for a longer visit,B次元官网网址� Nursey said. B次元官网网址淭he fact more visitors are choosing to come in the shoulder seasons shows that our efforts to promote Greater Victoria as a year-round destination are working.B次元官网网址�
At the start of the season, GVHA introduced a new tool to give real-time updates for arrival and departure schedules on . Toward the end of the season, a join venture between CVS Tours and The WilsonB次元官网网址檚 Group was announced to make the Ogden Point bus fleet a greener, cleaner and quieter operation.
Thinking ahead to next season, GVHA is building an extended mooring dolphin to welcome a brand new 330 metre ship, the Norwegian Bliss, scheduled for regular calls beginning in June 2018, as well as Royal CaribbeanB次元官网网址檚 Ovation of the Seas,and in 2019, CunardB次元官网网址檚 Queen Elizabeth.
